Produce tray with end wall bellows lock



R. M. DAVIS ETAL PRODUCE TRAY WITH END WALL BELLOWS LOCK May 29, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 27, 1961 fnzzeni'or's Ralph M .Davals Inge/Z6 8.5kuxieaza M fdwardfilorgg May 29, 1962 R. M. DAVIS ETAL 3,03 53 PRODUCE TRAY WITH END WALL BELLOWS pocx Filed June27, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fiagpk M Davis Eugene Q. fiuxieau 0* Edward EJ107247 WM zw May 29, 1962 R. M. DAVlS ETAL PRODUCE TRAY WITH END WALL BELLOWS LOCK Filed June 2'7, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 fnz/erzl ioris'l fiaZp/i M Davis Eugene Q. .fi'kazi'eau 0" Edward Z'. Lon 29- W 4&1

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States Patent 3,036,753 PRODUCE TRAY WITH END WALL BELLOWS LOCK Ralph M. Davis, Fullerton, Calif., Eugene A. Shuxteau, Havertown, Pa., and Edward E. Long, Pitman, N.J assignors to Container Corporation of America, Chlcago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 27, 1961, Ser. No. 119,992 6 Claims. (Cl. 229-31) This invention relates to produce trays, and more particularly to produce trays formed of foldable paperboard adapted to be shipped in a collapsed condition and readily set-up in the field at the time they are filled.

It is desirable that trays of this type be rugged enough to withstand the rigorous stresses and pressures to which they are subjected under normal operating conditions, and at the same time be of simple design and construction so as to be economical to produce and easy to assemble in the field.

It is especially desirable that trays of this type have an end wall construction which will permit the stacking of a plurality of filled trays without the danger of collapsing, which would damage the trays as well as their contents.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide an improved paperboard produce tray with interlocking end wall construction which is easy to assemble.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide, in a collapsible paperboard produce tray of the type described, an improved end wall construction with bellows locking arrangement for interconnecting the end and side wall panels of the tray which requires no gluing at the time of assembly.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from an examination of the following description and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a completely assembled produce tray embodying one form of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the tray of FIG- URE 1, shown in the first stage of assembly, with the blank being folded into a tubular or sleeve-like form and glued at the manufactures joint;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are fragmentary longitudinal vertical sections taken on lines 33 and 4-4, respectively, of FIGURE 2, illustrating separate stages of assembly;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 5--5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal vertical section similar to FIGURES 3 and 4, taken on lines 6-6 of FEGURE 1, of an end wall of the tray shown in final assembledcondition;

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of the blank from which the tray illustrated in the previous views may be formed;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 7, but illustrating a modified form of the invention; and

FIGURES 9, l0 and 11 correspond in general to FIG- URES 3, 4 and 6, respectively, but illustrate the modified form of the invention shown in FEGURE 8.

Referring now to the drawings fora better understanding of the invention, and particularly to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that the tray comprises a bottom wall panel having upstanding from the side edges thereof a pair of side wall panels 12 which are interconnected, at the ends thereof, by transversely extending end walls 14 and which are interconnected, intermediate the ends thereof, by a center partition 16.

The tray of FIGURE 1 may be formed from the single blank 18 of foldable paperboard illustrated in FIGURE 7.

wall panel 10 has hingedly connected to the opposite ends thereof a pair of end wall intermediate panels 20. Panel 10 may be provided inwardly adjacent each panel 20 with a locking and stacking slot 22, and may be provided intermediate its ends with a pair of transversely spaced locking slots 24.

The panel 10 may be hingedly attached along one side edge thereof to one of the side wall panels 12, the other side wall panel 12 being spaced transversely from the first side wall panel 12 and connected thereto by the portions of blank which form the end walls 14 and center partition 16. At its outer or free edge the other side wall panel 12 may be hingedly connected to a relatively thin elongated glue strip 26.

Inwardly adjacent its ends each side wall panel 12 may be provided with an upwardly projecting extension 30 to which may be hingedly attached one edge of a generally triangular stacking seat 32, which extends in a horizontal plane when the tray is set up to facilitate vertical stacking of a plurality of trays.

Hingedly attached to each end of the side Wall panel 12 is a generally triangular flap 34 of a corner bellows 36, which also includes another triangular flap 38 hingedly attachedalong one edge to the first flap 34 and hingedly attached along another edge to the end of an end wall outer panel 49. Adjacent its ends end wall outer panel 40 may be hingedly attached to the other edges of the related stacking seats 32. Each end wall 14 also includes an inner panel 42 which may be hingedly attached to the outer panel 40 by means of a relatively thin elongated fold strip 44, which extends in horizontal plane when the tray is in completely assembled condition. The fold strip and outer panel may be cut as at 46 to provide a stacking tab 47 which extends upwardly, when the tray is set-up as seen in FIGURE 1, for receipt within the bottom wall panel slot 22 of an adjacent tray. The inner panel 42 also may be provided with locking tab 48 projecting downwardly from the free edge thereof for receipt within the slot 22 of the bottom panel when the tray is in set-up condition.

The end wall outer panel 40 may be provided with a pair of transversely spaced apertures 4? which are loacted inwardly or upwardly adjacent the outer or lower edge of the panel. The purpose of these apertures is to facilitate assembly of the tray, and this operation will be described later in the specification.

Intermediate its ends each of the sile wall panels l2 may be hingedly connected to one edge of a generally triangular gusset 5d, the other edges of which are hingedly connected to an extension 52 formed on the ends of a pair of partition panels 54, which are hingedly interconnected at their upper edges by an elongated generally horizontally disposed fold strip 56 to form the center partition 16.

At their lower edges panels 54 may be provided with pairs of locking tabs 53 for receipt within locking slots 24 of bottom wall panel lit when the tray is assembled.

In the production of the tray embodying features of this invention it is contemplated that the glue flap 26 will be adhesively secured to the upwardly or inwardly facing surface of the bottom wall panel 10, as seen in FIGURE 1, to form the manufactures joint at the time the tray is formed. The tray can be shipped in a collapsed or flattened condit-ion and can be easily set up in the field to the sleeve condition shown in FIGURE 2 which is the first step in the assembly of the tray.

The next'step in assembling the tray is the formation of the center partition. This is accomplished merely by folding the two partition panels 54 downwardly to the vertical position shown in FIGURE 3 with the locking tabs 58 being inserted intoslots 24 of the bottom wall panel 10.

Simultaneously with, or immediately after, this step the end walls may be assembled. It will be understood that the carton may be set up either by hand or on a machine, but in either event the following operations are substantially the same.

The first step in forming each end wall of the tray is to fold the intermediate end wall panel 20 upwardly to a vertical position, so that it forms with the inside upper surface of the bottom wall panel an angle slightly less than 90", as shown FIGURE 3 The outer end wall panel 40 is then foldeddownwardly 90 to a vertical position, as shown in FIGURE 4, and a pair of rods R are inserted in the apertures 49 of the end wall panel 40. Itwill be understood that as the outer end wall panel 40 is folded downwardly to a vertical position the bellows 36 at each end of the end wall outer panel 40 are folded inwardly so as to lie between the outer end wall panel 40 and the intermediate end wall panel 20, with the bellows flaps 34 and 38 lying in juxtaposition with each other in 'back-to-back relation facing the interme diate and end wall panel 20 and the outer panel 40, respectively. As the rods R are pushed through the apertures 4 9, the inner extremities of the rods engage flaps 38 of the bellows, as seen in FIGURES 4 and 5, and force them inwardly past the end edges of the intermediate panel 20. At this point the intermediate panel 20 after having been forced downwardly toward the bottom wall panel 10 springs back upwardly to a vertical position forming an angle of approximately 90 with the bottom wall panel 10. The inner end wall panel 42 is then folded downwardly 90 with its locking tab 48 being inserted into slot 22 of the bottom wall panel 10, as shown in FIGURE 6.

If the tray is assembled completely by hand without the use of the rods R, the formation of the end walls may be modified slightly with the bellows being folded inwardly past the intermediate end wall panel 20 first. Then the inter-mediate panel 20 may be folded upwardly, after which the outer and inner end wall panels 40 and 42 may be folded downwardly to a vertical position. In either system of assembly, the end result is the same.

Referring now to FIGURES 8 through 11 of the drawings, it will be seen that a modified .form of the invention is shown. In this embodiment the general construction is similar to that of the previous embodiment, the only difference being in the structural details of the intermediate and outer end wall panels which have been changed to accommodate a different method of assembling the tray.

The modified tray may also be formed from a single blank 60 of paperboard illustrated in FIGURE 8 of the drawing. Inasmuch as the blank illustrated in FIGURE 8 of the drawings is similar to the blank used for the previously described embodiment of the invention, and illustrated in FIGURE 7 of the drawings, the same numerals have been used to designate corresponding elements of the second embodiment of the invention. Addtional numerals have been used to designate those elements of the second embodiment which differ from the elements of the first embodiment.

As best seen in FIGURE 8 the arrangement and disposition of the side wall panels 12, the end walls 14, and the center partition 16 is substantially the same as in the previously described embodiment. In the second embodiment the glue flap 26 is preferably hingedly attached to the side edge of the bottom wall panel 10 opposite from the side edge to which is hingedly attached side wall panel 12. Also, apertures 49 have been eliminated from outer end wall panels '40, as their function has been eliminated in the set-up operation of this embodiment by means of the novel construction of the intermediate end wall panels 62 which are hingedly attached to the opposite end edges of bottom wall panel 10'.

Each intermediate end wall panel 62 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced transversely extending score lines 64 to permit the panel to be bent in a manner illustrated in FIGURE 9 in order to facilitate assembling of the tray in a manner hereinafter described. To assemble the tray illustrated in FIGURES 8 through 11 of the drawings, the collapsed carton is opened to the sleeve condition shown in FIGURE 2, and the center partition panels 54 are then folded into position in the same manner as in the case of the previously described embodiment.

At this point outer end wall panel 40 is folded downwardly to the position illustrated in FIGURE 9 wherein the panel 40 forms an angle of approximately 45 with the horizontal. As this occurs flaps 34- and 38 of the bellows are brought into juxtaposition with each other and moved downwardly to a point approximately midway between outer end wall panel 40 and the end edges of side wall panels 12 of the tray. The intermediate end wall panel is then folded about the score lines 64 to permit insertion of the free edge or outer extremity of the intermediate end wall panel into the space between outer end wall panel 40 and bellows 36, as seen in FIGURE 9. Pressure is then exerted on the intermediate end wall panel to force it upwardly into position, while at the same time pressure is exerted on the outer surface of end wall outer panel 40 to force it downwardly into position, until finally both the outer end wall panel 40 and the intermediate end wall panel 62 are in the position illustrated in FIGURE 10, at which time the end wall inner panel 42 is folded downwardly to a vertical position with its locking tab 48 being inserted into the related bottom wall panel locking slot 22, as seen in FIGURE 11. In order to provide clearance for wire handles (not shown) which may be used in connection with the support of the tray at each end thereof, the intermediate end wall panels 20 and 62 may be cut out to provide a recess 66.

Thus, it will be seen that in each of the above described embodiments of the invention there is provided an end wall construction of five thicknesses, adjacent the sides thereof, which is sufficiently strong to withstand the intense pressures exerted by the stacking of a plurality of filled trays. The end wall construction also affords a novel bellows interlocking arrangement which adds strength and rigidity to the tray.

We claim:

1. A collapsible produce tray formed from a unitary blank of suitable sheet material such as foldable paperboard, comprising: a generally rectangular bottom wall panel; a pair of side wall panels hingedly attached to and upstanding from the side edges of said bottom wall panel; a center partition including a pair of generally vertically disposed panels extending transversely of the tray, said partition panels being hingedly interconnected at their upper edges and having end portions hingedly attached to the side wall panels; and a pair of end walls each including a pair of inner and outer vertical end wall panels hingedly interconnected at their upper edges, said outer end wall panel being hingedly attached at its side edges by a pair of bellows members to adjacent end edges of respective side wall panels, and an intermediate end wall panel hingedly attached at its lower edge to an end edge of said bottom wall panel and interposed between said end Wall outer panel and said bellows members; one of said end wall panels having means for facilitating the positioning of said intermeditae end wall panel between said end wall outer panel and said bellows members as the tray is assembled.

2. A collapsible produce tray formed from a unitary blank of suitable sheet material such as foldable paperboard, comprising: a generally rectangular bottom wall panel; a pair of side wall panels hingedly attached to and upstanding from the side edges of said bottom wall panel; and a pair of end walls each including a pair of inner and outer vertical end wall panels hingedly interconnected at their upper edges, said outer end wall panel being hingedly attached at its side edges by a pair of bellows members to adjacent end edges of respective side wall panels, and an intermediate end wall panel hingedly attached at its lower edge to an end edge of said bottom wall panel and interposed between said end wall outer panel and said bellows members; one of said end wall panels having means for facilitating the positioning of said intermediate end wall panel between said end wall outer panel and said bellows members as the tray is assembled.

3. A tray according to claim 2, wherein said facilitating means includes apertures means in said end Wall outer panel operable to receive outside plunger means engageable with said bellows members to push said bellows members inwardly beyond said end wall intermediate panel.

4. A tray according to claim 2, wherein said facilitating means includes a plurality of transverse score lines formed in said end wall intermediate panel operable to permit the end wall intermediate panel to be folded so that it can be inserted between said end wall outer panel and said bellows members.

5. A collapsible produce tray formed from a unitary blank of suitable sheet material such as foldable paperboard, comprising: a generally rectangular bottom wall panel; a pair of side wall panels hingedly attached to and upstanding from the side edges of said bottom wall panel; and a pair of end walls each including a pair of inner and outer vertical end wall panels hingedly interconnected at their upper edges, said outer end wall panel being hingedly attached at its side edges by a pair of bellows members to adjacent end edges of respective side wall panels, and an intermediate end wall panel hingedly attached at its lower edge to an end edge of said bottom wall panel and inter- 6 posed between said end wall outer panel and said bellows members; said end wall outer panel having a pair of apertures therein operable to receive outside plungers engageable with said bellows member to push said bellows members inwardly beyond said end wall intermediate panel.

6. A collapsible produce tray formed from a unitary blank of suitable sheet material such as foldable paperboard, comprising: a generally rectangular bottom wall panel; a pair of side wall panels hingedly attached to'and upstanding from the side edges of said bottom wall panel; and a pair of end walls each including a pair of inner and outer vertical end wall panels hingedly interconnected at their upper edges, said outer end wall panel being hingedly attached at its side edges by a pair of bellows members to adjacent end edges of respective side wall panels, and an intermediate end wall hingedly attached at its lower edge to an end edge of said bottom wall panel and interposed between said end wall outer panel and said bellows members; said end wall intermediate panels having a plurality of transverse score lines operable to permit the end wall intermediate panel to be folded so that it can be inserted between said end wall outer panel and said bellows members.

Clark Oct. 6, 1891 Hamilton Jan. 13, 1959 

